Believe
by Ink Runs Through My Veins
Summary: Dimitri Belikov is in for the ride of his career: taking Rosemary Hathaway to the Winter Olympics for figure skating. His problem? She doesn't like coaches. Add his best friend who wants him to be happy, a vengeful ex who has her eye on him and his student, and a long journey to the Olympics. Dimitri will need to keep all of his wits to finally get the gold, and maybe the girl.
1. Chapter 1

Thank you Olympics for inspiration (despite the fact that the Winter Olympics was finished way back in 2014). Lol, I started this in 2014 and now it's 2017! I can't believe all the time that has passed in completing this!

Warning: I also have a very limited knowledge of skating in general. If I mess up, please ignore it.

All Russian words or phrases are from Google. If you have any complaints, take it up with them.

I don't own the characters. I attach strings to them and shout, "Dance marionettes! Dance for my pleasure!"

* * *

She was fire on the ice.

She was passion incarnated.

She had soul and drive to go the distance, beyond what anyone else expected or thought of her.

She was temptation made just for him.

She was his fatal sin, his everything.

She was the one thing he could not have.

* * *

Dimitri had watched a lot of her performances, and every single time she was dazzling and strong. She was beautiful, patent with her steps, and nearly flawless on the ice.

Her name was Rosemarie Hathaway.

"She is very good." Head coach Kirova admitted when she first met him. "She has won so many competitions at such a young age and a few days ago, a representative from the Olympics told me that she is one of the most eligible women in this sport for a spot on the Figure Skating Olympics team. She is home schooled so she can focus on her skating. I was told that she would have quit school completely had her parents had not objected."

He nodded, very impressed. He had met few skaters who had that kind of drive. "So why do you need me?"

The older woman sighed and leaned back in her chair. "She has had a few...incidents with coaches and now she feels that she doesn't need any coaching. We need the best, so we called you."

"With all due respect, maybe she doesn't need any coaching?" He was reluctant to take up a brat who thought she was above any coaching, no matter how damn good she was. Besides, there were plenty of good skaters out there who couldn't afford coaches and they made due with what they had.

Kirova frowned. "I may think she is one of the best skaters out there, but that does not mean I think she is so good that she does not need a coach." She clasped her hands together and leaned forward. "She will never admit this, but she does need you to make her a better skater."

He sat in silence for a few moments, then, "Let me see how she skates."

* * *

The first thing he heard was shouting. Coach Kirova groaned and motioned for him to follow her.

The first thing he saw was a beautiful girl who was obviously distressed, if her flushed face and angry expression was anything to go by.

"You are such an idiot, Alto!" She shouted at the man opposite of her. "Of course that was off! The jump was way too low."

Dimitri was taken aback. A skater, admitting she was wrong to a coach opposite of her opinion? In all his years, both as a student and as a coach, he had never seen anything like this.

The man, whose fists were clenched at his side, growled out, "Your jump was just fine, Hathaway! Now give me a triple toe-loop!"

"Not until you tell me what was wrong with my jump! Just fine isn't going to get me a medal!"

"Hathaway!" Kirova barked. "Enough." She motioned for the man to leave. "I have her covered, Stan. Go get a coffee." Stan looked relieved for the Head Coach's appearance and did as he was told. She turned to the skater. "Hathaway, I would like for you to meet Dimitri Belikov. He will be your new instructor. Dimitri, this is Rosemarie Hathaway." The girl, Rosemarie, rolled her eyes and suddenly backed away from her position at the wall. "Hathaway–" Dimitri signaled for her to stop, never taking his eyes off of the girl.

Rosemarie sighed to herself, skated around a bit, and then jumped.

He would never admit this to her, but the very moment that he saw that triple axle, Dimitri knew that nothing would ever be the same for him. Her jump was full of life and obvious power, yet there was a flow to her jump. A ferocity not commonly found in girls her age. Her height was precise, her spins perfect in rotation.

Even so, with all those redeemable qualities, there was one flaw only oblivious to the untrained eye.

She slid to a stop and looked at Dimitri expectantly. "Well? Was that jump perfect too?"

The man crossed his arms. "If I tell you, will you treat me with respect?"

She raised a defiant brow. "If you guess correctly. And start calling me Rose. Rosemarie sounds like someone who has lived three times as long as I have."

"Your landing was off. Your knee was too locked in, so loosen it a bit. Your ankle was twisted and you almost stumbled. You need to be less tense when you land or you'll end up breaking something." He walked down to the edge of the rink, ignoring the shocked looks from both the Head Coach and the skater. "My name is Dimitri Belikov. I hope to take you to the Olympics next year, Miss Hathaway."

* * *

"Again!" Dimitri barked. He ignored the scathing look Rose sent him. She may have been good but Kirova was right when she said Rosemarie needed a coach. She was too wild in her practices and too unwilling to take her exercises on the ice seriously. "Give me that spin again. Count to five in your head and then lower your leg on release."

She took another deep breath and spun in the Beilman position. Her spinning was fast enough, but she was releasing wrong. Instead of lowering her leg, she spun one more time and then kicked the air, throwing her off balance. She insisted it was the way she had been taught, but as soon as he mentioned she was doing it wrong she tried as hard as she could to make herself better.

Contrary to what Kirova complained about her, Dimitri actually liked working with Rose. Once he proved that he knew what he was talking about, she listened to him and what he said. She followed his instructions to a T. She was always looking for ways to improve, contrary to other skaters he had worked with, who were always looking for compliments and nothing else. Rose could take criticism. In fact, it seemed that she thrived on it. She was self-disciplining and had a tongue so sharp she could cut someone. By the time he woke up in the morning, she was already doing stretching exercises. By the time he got there she was already on the ice, waiting for him to teach her something else.

But there was something off about her. No matter when he saw her she was always pale, paler than someone of her almond colored skin should be.

She never seemed to want to leave the rink.

* * *

He gestured for Rose to get off the ice one day. "You need a day off. The competition is in a month and you need to rest for more than eight hours."

She looked shocked. "What I need is to practice my Spread Eagle, Belikov. If I can't do it perfectly then there is no way I'm going to make it to the Olympics."

He tried to reason with her. "It has been six months since I've started training with you, Rose, and not once have I ever seen you take a day off."

"I don't need a day off. I need to practice."

Dimitri sighed. He was going to need a lot of headache medicine after this, he could already tell. "Rose, I'm leaving and as your coach, I order you to do the same."

She suddenly shot him a look of loathing. "Screw you, Belikov." She growled. "This is why I hate coaches. You don't care about anyone else. All you care about is what success you can get for yourself."

Her words stabbed and confused him. Before he could reply she stormed back towards the ice, leaving him staring after her.

* * *

"That girl is going to be the death of me, or any other coach after me." Were the first words out of Dimitri's mouth when he met Kirova a few hours later. "I do not understand her problem with me, but if her attitude continues, she isn't going anywhere near Sochi this year."

It wasn't obvious but the older woman's pen stopped for half a second before being set down. "What happened?"

"She refuses to take a day off, and then accuses me of only thinking about myself!" He raged, his Russian accent showing through in his anger. "I've never met anyone so...so–"

"Aggravating?"

"Yes!" He sighed, collapsing into a chair. "What happened to make her like this?"

Kirova smoothly got out of her chair and went to stand by the only window in her office; the one that gave her a clear view of the rink and the skater on it. "You must understand that she was not always like this. She used to be less hard on herself, less intense." She spoke with a look in her eye. A look that told him of happier times. "She had friends coming by to watch her practice. She would not get up at nearly four in the morning just to train and she would leave earlier than two seconds before the rink closed."

She turned back to her desk and took a picture from a drawer before handing it to Dimitri. In the picture was Rose and another man. To his surprise, Rose looked younger, more like the carefree girl she should have been. The man next to her was pale, had green eyes and messy brown hair. He was obviously taller than Rose, but he had his arms around her so that she was hoisted up to his waist. Dimitri gave the picture back to Kirova, who quickly put it back in her drawer and slammed it shut. "Who is the man?"

Kirova grimaced. "His name is Adrian Ivashkov and he was Rose's first coach."

"What happened?"

This time Kirova full out frowned. "Rose would not tell me the details, but from the police report–"

"A police report?" She gave him a look and he backed away. "Sorry."

"From the police report Adrian was an alcoholic. Apparently he was so drunk that when he was drunk, no one could tell his real personality from his drunk one."

"Shall I assume Rose couldn't tell the difference either?"

"Rose did not know. Or if she did she did not say anything to me, but that is very unlikely." Kirova squeezed her eyes shut. "When the first pre-Olympic competition came around Rose was barely fifteen. Adrian came to the competition drunk out of his mind. He stumbled onto the ice in front of a crowd. From the looks of it he was trying to do Rose's routine." She let out a humorless chuckle. "It would have been a funny sight to see had the situation been different. They had to drag him off the ice and escort him off the premises. Rose was mortified. You know that when a skater does something stupid it reflects on the coach? This time, it was the complete opposite. When Rose got on that ice and won a silver she had to do it and endure the taunts from everyone, even her fellow skaters. Later someone started a rumor that Rose was sleeping with one of the judges to get the position on the team. It was a big scandal and while she did quit the team later, she almost dropped out of skating completely. Do you know who stopped her?"

"You?"

Kirova smiled bitterly. "Have you ever heard of Vasilisa Dragomir?"

"Russia's princess?"

"They call her Russia's princess." She corrected him. "She is one of the top figure skaters in the world. Her father is an influential diplomat in the Russian government, so the media brands her as a princess. She was the one who stopped the tabloids from printing more of that scandal. She made trips to the US just to encourage Rose to keep skating. It was all over the news." He knows why he had never heard about this. He had been in Siberia for the last five years, concentrating on his family. Current news was hard to come by in the frozen tundras. "Now they are the best of friends as well as friendly rivals. I know they Skype each other when they can." She looked at the window again and her expression softened. "Rose is capable of many great things, but this has not been an easy road for her. She never takes a break because she thinks that she has something to prove. Not to herself, but to the rest of the world. I see what the media prints about her all the time and it enrages me. No matter what problems I have with her, no one deserves to have that kind of gossip spread about you."

"So her problem with me–"

"Her problem with most coaches, I assure you. You are not the first who has come barging into my office to demand what is wrong with Rose. Everyone else gave up. We have tried to find matches for Rose, but none have ever come into my office so late." She smiled. "You have not given up on her yet. That means you are the perfect coach for her."

* * *

As expected he found her on the ice. He did not call out to her immediately, content to watch her work on her doughnut spin. It was when she stopped to take a breath that he called out to her.

"Hathaway!" He barked. "Come here."

She didn't even try to cover up her eye rolling as she skated over to her coach. She stopped a few feet in front of him. "What now Belikov?"

"Get your shoes and put on some warmer clothes. We're going to lunch."

* * *

Dimitri literally had to drag her out of there. It took Kirova closing the rink and both of them corralling the skater into Dimitri's car to even get her out of the parking lot. Rose tried as hard as she could, but he was stronger, taller, and had two hundred more pounds of muscle than her. Eventually he figured hoisting her over over his shoulder would give him better results than just dragging her. He ignored the strange looks he received from people walking and continued on.

Rose huffed and settled for leaning on his shoulders, digging her elbows into his back and hoping it hurt. "Are you always this intimate with your skaters, or am I just special?"

"Well you are pretty special."

"Why do I think you don't mean that in a good way?"

"Let's put it this way; you're one of the biggest pains in my ass I've ever had to deal with. You'll meet the other one when we get there."

She grinned. "Happy to be of service."

They ended up at a nice looking restaurant on the better side of town. Dimitri let her down, but made sure to keep a firm grip on her arm as he dragged her inside. Ivan's Garden was written in a strange cursive above the door. The inside had a simple romantic atmosphere. Small candles in colorful glass containers were surrounded by wreaths of delectable smelling flowers on the tables as centerpieces. There was a fire pit on the left wall, surrounded by plush chairs and a comfortable looking couch. The bar in the far back held a wide array of exotic alcohol and were placed over a bar made of expensive marble. Barely anyone was inside except an older couple and a woman and her baby.

"Dimitri!" A man stepped out from the back and yelled as soon as he saw them. He wasn't big or overly muscular, but there was intimidation as far as muscles were concerned. You could clearly see them under the expensive business suit he wore. The huge smile he wore made him seem less like the head of a Russian gang and more like a rich uncle. "Well isn't this a surprise! You didn't tell me you were coming today."

Dimitri smiled and shook hands with the man. "I wasn't planning to, but I need good food to get me through today."

There was a sparkle in his eye as he listened to his friend. "You came to the right place, my friend." He noticed Rose standing behind Dimitri. "Who is this? Your new girlfriend?"

He laughed as they both turned red. Rose was sputtering out denials while Dimitri tried to get his complexion from fire hydrant red to a more normal color. "We aren't dating. Ivan, this is Rosemarie Hathaway, my student and ice skating Olympian in the making. Rose, this is Ivan Zeklos, my best friend from college and the owner of this place. He's also the other pain in my ass."

Ivan grinned as he enthusiastically shook her hand. "It's an honor to meet an athlete like yourself. We Russians love our ice princesses." Rose blushed even harder and Dimitri let out a laugh. Rose frowned at him "Table for two?" They nodded. "Follow me please."

He led them to a table closer to the fire pit. To Ivan's surprise, Dimitri actually pulled out a chair for Rose; also much to Rose's embarrassment. A waiter came over and took their drink orders before leaving the trio to chat.

"So," Ivan leaned forward, a sly smile on his face. "how did you two meet?"

* * *

"That was fun." Rose surprised herself by admitting it. "I can see myself coming here again."

Dimitri gave her a pointed look. "So you can see yourself taking more breaks?"

Rose frowned. "I said I could see myself coming here again. That doesn't mean I would do it too often."

He knew that was the best he could ask of her. "I was surprised when you ordered the golubtsy."

"You and Ivan both. Did you see his face? It was like Christmas had come early for him. I mean, what's so special about golubtsy?"

He smiled. "When we were sick in college, our mothers used to rush to our dorms and feed us golubtsy." He shrugged. "It reminds us of home."

"That is why he freaked out?"

"Freaking out is a little strong. I would say that he was happy to see that you wanted it."

Rose shrugged. " 'Dunno why."

Dimitri had a fairly good idea, but didn't dare voice his thoughts to Rose. Not only was she a good 10 years younger than him, it was extremely looked down upon for trainers and skaters to have that kind of relationship. It would be social suicide for Rose. He wasn't going to give in to his desires just so he could be happy with Rose by his side. She had enough to deal with already.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own the characters. I attach strings to them and shout, "Dance marionettes! Dance for my pleasure!"

* * *

The time had come and Rose was extremely nervous. This was her chance to redeem herself. Four years and she had grown stronger. This was her last chance to show the country she is still serious about skating.

The paparazzi were sniffing her out like gossip-hungry hounds. Dimitri could see the tenseness in her shoulders and forearms as she gripped her hands together tightly. He smiled and grasped her shoulders. "You'll be fine."

She stood straighter. "I know. This just brings back a lot of bad memories."

He frowned and turned her around, still gripping her shoulders. "Look at me Rose." She did. "I'm not drunk. The last time I touched alcohol was months ago. I'm not going to ruin this because I know how much this means to you." He smiled. "I'm very proud of you. You're a hard worker and you are going to dazzle them."

She suddenly smiled and hugged them. Her warmth scorched him through the thin red skating costume and jacket she wore. "Thanks Dimitri."

The announcement for the skaters to start warming up rang out in the room. "It's time." He rubbed her shoulders again. "Are you ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

Rose was the last one to get on the ice. Cameras went off everywhere and Dimitri could hardly see until he put on sunglasses. He frowned as he saw the other skaters snickering every time they passed her. He couldn't help but feel proud of of her when she held her head high and ignored them. Even at practice she was flawless. After a few minutes most of the skaters were frowning.

A few more minutes later she got off the ice, put on her blade guards, and walked to Dimitri. Before she got there she was pushed into the wall by two snickering skaters. "Watch it Hathaway." One of them sneered. "Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself before you even got started. Then who would sleep with you?" The other giggled and they both walked away.

Before Rose could snarl back Dimitri grabbed her arm and gently pulled her away. "I'm fine. It's my own fault for getting so worked up about them."

"No one expects you to be an emotionless robot, Rose." The coach tried to soothe the student. "You can get upset, but transferring that anger to your skating will motivate you to do ten times better than them."

She nodded. "Okay. I got it."

He nodded back. "I know you do. It's why I'm still your coach. Do you want to watch the others?" Rose shook her head. "Then go to the locker room and rub your feet." He raised her chin so she would look at him. "Skate like you skated in practice and you'll be fine."

She nodded and took off for the locker room.

"Dimitri!" The older coach turned around to see Ivan bundled up in an expensive coat with a large bouquet nearly hiding the larger man. He was grinning widely. "Where is the star of this show?"

"You just missed her. I sent her to warm up in the locker room."

Ivan's face fell. "Should I wait?"

"If you want to see her, go ahead. I'm sure she would love the surprise."

The two began to walk the long halls. "So how have things been?"

"She's as stubborn as a mule, hard-headed, and won't take a break to save her life." He shrugged. "She's going to win."

"How are you so certain?"

Dimitri scoffed. "Did you see her on the ice? She never made a mistake, even when it was okay. She's going to win and she's going to Sochi."

Ivan laughed. "I've never heard you so certain about anything before."

"I've never been as certain about anything as I have been when it comes to how Rose performs. She's going to the top and everyone knows it, which is why all of the skaters are afraid of her. They can't skate as well as her, so the only way to get under her skin is to antagonize her."

Ivan whistled. "Girls; catty as Siberian tigers and just as dangerous."

As if proving his point, a loud shriek came from the locker room. As Ivan and Dimitri ran through the door, they were able to see Rose throwing herself away from a girl who was shrieking and trying to attack her. Dimitri recognized the girl as Helena, a girl who was on the ice earlier. She was not a very good skater; definitely not as nationally recognized as Rose. If Dimitri recalled correctly, this was the first time the girl had ever qualified for the tournament.

"Trash!" The other girl angrily roared. "You don't belong here!"

Rose snarled back. "At least I have some _**dignity**_! You don't even care about who you sleep with you slutty–"

Ivan and Dimitri both winced at her profanity. She could send a Russian sailor crying to his _mat'_.

Helena's face was way past red, heading quickly into the purple zone. "Don't talk to me that way you stupid piece of trash!"

"Clearly you haven't looked in a mirror lately!"

Dimitri stepped in front of his pupil, glaring harshly at Helena. "You are done insulting my student. This room is private. Unless you want security guards to escort you out, I would suggest you leave."

Helena gave them all one last glare before pointing her nose to the ceiling and stomping out. Rose blew the departing skater a raspberry as she slammed the door. "Hey slut," Rose murmured to the closed door. "your right leg misses your left."

Ivan barked out a laugh but tried to smother it over his hand when he saw Dimitri's glare. "I think our little princess has more of a backbone than we thought Dimitri."

Dimitri sighed and turned to his student. "What happened?"

Rose shrugged. "She came in here screaming about something. She said some things, I said some things, and then suddenly you guys came in."

Ivan spoke. "Think we can get her banned from the competition?"

"There are no cameras." Rose pointed out. "We have nothing to testify against her except our words." She smirked. "All I have to do is beat her for the spot on the Olympic team and that will be sweet enough revenge for me."

Dimitri smiled and patted her head, rubbing it like one would pet a dog. "Good job. Now go stretch. You're on in twenty minutes."

It was time. The skater before Rose was just finishing up her routine when Rose took her place.

Dimitri was behind her, rubbing her shoulders. "No matter what happens tonight Rose, just know that I could not be more proud to say that you are my student."

She smiled and hugged him before taking a deep breath and skating off. She did the traditional skate around the rink before coming to take her pose in the middle of the rink.

Then she took off and soared.

* * *

The phone call came a week after the competition. They had all been on the edge of their seats, biting their nails and glancing at their phones every spare minute.

Finally, Dimitri's phone began to ring. Rose was so surprised she nearly twisted her ankle trying to right herself after a failed jump. Ivan almost fell off his seat on the bleachers. Kirova was so white her skin was almost the same color as the ice.

With a deep breath Dimitri answered his phone. "Coach Dimitri Belikov speaking." Rose inhaled sharply. "Yes." Was this it? "Uh-huh." Was she finally going to get her chance? "Yes." She gnawed on her lip. "Yes, of course." What was taking them so long? "I understand. We'll work out the details later." She was nearly bouncing on her skates. "Yes. Thank you so much." He hung up and turned to them.

"Well?" Ivan nearly shouted. Kirova looked ready to bite her clean nails off. "What's going to happen?"

Dimitri smiled at Rose. "They'll be holding a press conference some time next week and it will be formally announced in the papers in two days." He smiled softly. "You made it Roza. You're one of three of North America's female figure skating representatives."

The once quiet rink was filled with laughter and cheer.

* * *

A press conference was held later in the week. Camera flashes blinded Rose as she and two other girls, Mia Rinaldi and Natasha Ozera, smiled and shook hands with the directors of figure skating for the Olympics.

Cameras nearly blinded the skater as she forced herself to smile. Dimitri's heart reached out to the poor girl and reached for her hand underneath the table. That made it tolerable, but not by much. Then the interviews started.

"Rose!" Most of them called out. "Rose, over here!"

"How is your relationship with your new coach?"

"Are you sleeping with your new coach too?"

"How do you feel about your chances for the Olympics?"

"Is it true that you almost fought Helena O'Brien in the women's locker room the day of the competition?"

"Did you sleep with yet _**another**_ judge to earn your position?"

Rose wanted to cry. She normally would tell them where they could put their questions, but she couldn't exactly voice her opinion on national television without looking like the bad guy.

Suddenly Mia slammed her hands down on the table. "Enough." She screeched. All of the paparazzi flinched. "Rose Hathaway has a right to privacy and there is a limit to harassment! All of you should be ashamed of yourselves." She sat back down with a huff, her curly blonde hair bouncing around her head.

Rose smiled. Mia had never liked her, but she had never disliked Rose either. She respected Rose enough to not believe whatever garbage the media said about her. It made Rose happy that she had an ally off the ice, or as close to an ally as Mia could get.

What really bothered Rose was the flirty glances Natasha was sending Dimitri. The older woman had been eyeing Rose's coach ever since he stepped into the room and it gave Rose a bad feeling. The woman had looked down on her ever since Rose started skating. Seeing her sending those flirty glances at Dimitri ate at her stomach. Rose didn't know what she had done to make the older woman hate her so much, but Rose knew she would do anything to keep Dimitri out of Natasha's clutches.

The rest of the interview went on without much of a hitch. Though there would be the occasional inappropriate question towards Rose, it was always ignored and the rest of the interview continued without much drama.

Finally, the questioning was over and it was time to leave. Rose turned around to Mia and held out her hand. "The best of luck to you."

Mia nodded and shook her hand. "And you."

Rose reluctantly turned to Natasha. "Good luck as well."

Natasha let out a sly grin. It looked almost predatory to Rose. "And to you. You'll be needing it." Rose didn't slap her like she wanted to. Instead, she imagined tripping Natasha on the ice and making her break her nose. That made her smile.

Rose ran to her coach and jumped into his waiting arms. Dimitri smiled. "You handled that well."

Rose sighed at the calming sensation of his arms around her. "I just wanted to punch all of them."

Dimitri chuckled. "I did too. But you handled yourself in a very professional way and I'm very proud of you."

Rose tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly. "I want to thank you. You're honestly the best coach a skater could ask for."

Dimitri humorously cupped his ear. "What is this? Rosemarie Hathaway _**thanking**_ me? Is today my birthday?"

She mockingly punched him. "I'm serious."

Her coach smiled gently. "I know. I understand how much it means to you to thank a coach. You're very welcome, Roza."

"Dimka?"

They both turned around to see Natasha walking towards them. Dimitri straightened, holding out a tense hand to Natasha. "It's good to see you Natasha." He didn't sound like he meant it.

She ignored the hand and rushed to embrace him. "It has been so long." She purred. "You are looking very well."

Rose wanted to laugh and puke. Natasha rubbing herself against her coach like that was disgusting and hilarious, but Rose didn't want to watch. "Coach," She said loudly to take his attention away from her competition. "I'm going to go wait by the car."

He caught her arm before she could get away. "Wait Rose." He said firmly. "We'll walk together. This won't take long."

She tried to shake him off. "Seriously, it's fine. Clearly you two have some catching up to do and it's none of my business."

Natasha sent her a smile that made Rose's skin crawl. "Thank you, Rose."

This time Dimitri made sure to push Natasha away. "No Natasha. I have nothing to say to you."

The older woman pouted. "But Dimka-"

"The past is the past Natasha. Leave it there."

Natasha crossed her arms. Rose noticed, disgustingly, that it pushed her chest up beneath the thin black sweater she wore. "You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"I know you well enough that I know whatever is going to come out of your mouth is nothing but trouble."

"Dimka-"

"Enough Natasha. I don't want to hear it."

Now Rose was really stuck between a rock and a hard place. She could feel Natasha's glare on her. "I was just going to ask that we catch up. It's been a long time since I've seen you." Dimitri hesitated and Natasha went for the kill. "Please?" Her breathy plea almost made Rose gag. "The next time I see you may be in Sochi and that's a long ways away."

Dimitri sighed. "Fine. But I have to go now. I need to focus on _**Rose**_."

Natasha nodded, but anyone could tell she was unhappy. "My number hasn't changed."

* * *

Dimitri wouldn't stop apologizing to Rose as they drove back to the rink, though Rose didn't understand why. It wasn't like she was upset that Natasha was acting like some two-bit whore while she rubbed herself all over Rose's coach.

Rose hoped a fat picture of Natasha appeared in the paper tomorrow.

Dimitri sighed. "I just wanted this day to be perfect for you. You deserved a perfect day today for all of your hard work."

That touched Rose. She reached over from the passenger seat to squeeze the hand closest to her. "It was perfect. You being who you are made today perfect." She smiled at him. "You tried for me, Dimitri, and that means more than a million Olympian titles." Rose paused before asking, "How do you know Natasha, if you don't mind me asking?"

Dimitri was silent and Rose feared she might have pushed farther than she should have before he answered, "Natasha was my first, for everything. My first girlfriend, my first lover, my first student. We had even talked about starting a family together." Rose's coach gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Eventually, she decided that she was too good for me and when a better coach asked for her as a student, she terminated our partnership and left for America without telling me." He sighed harshly. "It was five years before she contacted me again. She tried to explain that she was sorry, that the coach she went with would further her career more than I ever would, but that she still loved me. I was just starting to coach and she decided she would never get anywhere if she stayed with me. I wouldn't listen and we hadn't spoken since then. She threw away our relationship for a better career opportunity and I don't know if I can ever forgive her for that."

Rose bit her lip. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't help but be glad she did that."

He tried to hide his hurt. "Why?"

"Because, in a way, she gave me you. I would never have met you if she hadn't decided to be such a slut."

Dimitri suddenly softened and nodded. "That is true." He sighed. "I really don't want to see her."

Rose squeezed his hand. "I know."

They spent the rest of the drive back in comfortable silence.

* * *

I know that there is a 6-7 year age difference between Dimitri and Rose in the books. I made it ten years to suit my needs and to give Natasha and Dimitri more of a history.

I have no idea how they announce it to the Olympic competitors. They could send it in a telegram for all I know. I just figured it would be more nerve-wracking if it were a phone call.


	3. Chapter 3

Whoo hoo! We're in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics!

I remember when I first saw the Ladies Individual Figure Skating Free Program in Sochi during 2014 and that is what inspired me to start this story! I can not believe it's been four years since I started this story. Thank you for all of your reviews. I cannot tell you how much they mean to me.

I don't own the characters. I attach strings to them and shout, "Dance marionettes! Dance for my pleasure!"

* * *

"Again!" Dimitri barked as Rose came to a halt on the ice. Sochi was less than a month away and Dimitri and Rose were preparing her short program. They had already perfected her long program, but the short one was giving them trouble. Her Y spin was near perfect, but Rose simply couldn't get it down completely without messing up the rest of her program. It was frustrating Dimitri as much as it was frustrating Rose and the coach was worried about his young skater.

Rose huffed with exhaustion. "Can I get some water first?"

Dimitri nodded. Rose rarely asked for a break and when she did, her coach was only happy to give it to her.

"I don't understand why I keep messing up!" Rose's hands shook as she finished her water. "This move should have been perfected already."

Dimitri sighed and rubbed his neck. "We will just have to practice your spin some more, or take it out entirely if you haven't mastered it by next week."

The skater tensed. "We can't take it out. It's a core part of my routine."

"Not as much as your angel spin. We can try something else if you can't get it down in time."

Rose was about to respond when a shriek filled the rink. Dimitri was taken aback when a blonde blur launched itself at Rose. Rose too was shocked, until she inhaled the scent she knew best and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Lissa!"

Dimitri relaxed as he took in the scene. Rose was smiling brilliantly as she took in the sight of her best friend. He had seen Vasilissa Dragomir in the papers back home, but she was stunning in comparison to her pictures. A curtain of pale light hung over her shoulders and her green eyes sparked with glee at the sight of her best friend. The thick blue sweater dress she wore did nothing to hide her slim figure and long legs. Everything about this young woman seemed delicate and light.

Finally Rose and Lissa separated. "I'm so happy to see you again, Rose." Her accent was barely noticeable.

Rose nodded. "Me too." Then she looked confused. "But why are you here? Last time we talked, you said Christian was pushing you harder than ever."

Suddenly, the expression on Lissa's face became furious. "There are some new rumors, about you and your new coach. I needed to see if you were okay."

Now Dimitri was confused. "What rumors?" Rose's suddenly guilty expression explained everything. "You kept this from me?"

"I didn't do it intentionally." The skater tried to reassure her coach. "I had heard there were new rumors, but I didn't think too much about it. Apparently, you're too good for me and the media is trying to start some sort of rumor that you are going to abandon me before we get to Sochi."

Lissa swore in Russian. "I can not stand the paparazzi. Don't they have better things to do than ruin other people's careers?" Dimitri smiled. She was fierce and protective. What else would be expect from Roza's best friend?

Rose gave Lissa a dry look. "It's their jobs, Lissa."

"Their jobs are to provide information to the public. Not be assholes who prey on people because they think having a camera makes them better than anyone else." Dimitri couldn't agree more. Lissa finally noticed him. "Dimitri Belikov. I've heard of you."

"As have I, Princess Vasilissa."

Rose's best friend blushed. "Please, I'm no princess."

"You motivated Rose to continue to skate. You gave me the greatest student I've ever had. Trust me, you're a princess."

Lissa laughed and turned to her best friend. "I definitely approve of him, Rose."

Rose blushed. Dimitri's body was suddenly as light as a feather.

* * *

Lissa insisted on doing something with her best friend while she was in town. While Rose was out with Lissa, he figured he may as well get the meeting with Natasha over with.

The cafe he chose was outside of the city, and he made sure to keep a low profile as much as possible to avoid any media attention.

He saw her pull up in a fancy car that he couldn't even afford to dream about. Her clothes were fitted to her body and her makeup was perfect and made her look untouchable and cold. The complete opposite of his Roza.

He frowned. He had never called Roza _**his**_ before. It was a realization that made him sad. That other realization made him uncomfortable.

"Dimka!" Natasha squealed when she saw him. "Isn't this place just like the one we used to go to when we were students?"

Dimitri sighed. He knew Natasha would do this. He knew she would bring up memories of happier times to make him remember how hard he had fallen in love with her. "Yes, it is."

The older skater slid into the chair next to him, pushing it uncomfortably close to his chair. "Do you remember that time when that stupid waitress spilled _Mors_ down my Dolce and Gabbana sweater?" She pushed her sunglasses onto her head, showing her visible disgust. "Ugh, that _shlyukha_ wouldn't know good waitressing if it kicked her in her _pizda._ "

This is exactly what Dimitri had been afraid of. Natasha hadn't changed. She was still the spoiled and self-centered girl who left him broken-hearted for bigger and better opportunities. "What am I doing here, Natasha?" He finally asked.

She gave him a confused, doe-eyed look. But he knew the cunning vixen was there, lurking in the shadows of her dark soul. If he was as superstitious as his mother he would be making the sign of the cross. "What do you mean?

Dimitri waved a hand towards her. "You clearly haven't changed. I saw you in the papers months ago with some high profile man on your arm. Apparently you like them young and _**rich**_." He probably shouldn't have taken any pleasure in seeing her flinch, but he is only human. "I am neither. So what are you doing wasting your time with me?"

There was silence before, "I want you to be my coach again."

Dimitri immediately stood up. "Goodbye Natasha."

The female skater quickly stood up with him and grabbed his wrist. "Wait Dimka!"

He wrenched his hand away from his former lover, not caring at the pained expression on her face from the force he used. Dimitri's face clearly showed his rage. His brown eyes blazing. "What do you want me to say, Natasha? That I would abandon my student, the most dedicated girl I've ever met, to train _**you**_? The woman who left me for fame and a better fuck?" Dimitri shook his head. "You're out of your mind."

"Just hear me out!" She pleaded. "You know I will win at Sochi. You could be training a legend instead of some brat. You will go places with me. I _**will**_ further your career." She slowly slid her hand up his arm. "It will be just like old times, Dimka. You and me, with the world as our oyster."

The man tugged his arm away again. "I don't need the world. I certainly don't want to be your coach again."

"Dimka-"

Dimitri finally gave Natasha a heated glare. " _Khvatit znachit khvatit_ , Natasha! I am not a toy you can throw away over and over again! What you did broke my heart! And I am not foolish enough to take the same path twice." He waved a hand to where she stood. "You obviously haven't changed. What's to stop you if you decide _**again**_ that I'm not good enough for you?"

He watched as her face became less innocent and more angry. "And that _**girl**_ is good enough for you?" She screeched. "That stupid little brat?"

"THAT GIRL HAS MORE LOYALTY IN HER PINKY THAN YOU DO IN YOUR ENTIRE BODY!" He took a deep breath to steady himself. It would do Rose no good if he attacked her competition. "Stay away from me and my student. Do not try and talk to me again." He looked at her once more and wondered if she was so blinded by her own ego that she couldn't see his anger and frustration pouring out of his body. "Or I swear, I will make sure your worst nightmares will come true: starting with your reputation."

He ignored her violent shrieks as he got into his car and drove off.

* * *

On his way home Dimitri had to pull over. Anger clouded his vision and his needed a little effort to remove his hands from the steering wheel. How dare that-that _**bitch**_ talk about his Roza like that! There was no competition as to whom his best student is.

He felt so foolish, wasting all those years on making Natasha a better skater when she was only interested in how far she could push him away. The sad thing is, in the beginning, he knew she was cheating on him. He heard the rumors, saw things that he wished he could unsee. But he always believed in her because he loved her.

It had taken Ivan slapping him on the head and telling him to get ahold of himself to make him realize that he deserved better than someone who made it clear she was only interested in herself. He went back home to confront Natasha, only to be told she had left. A month later he saw her in the papers. She was on the arm of a famous figure skating coach.

That was the final straw for Dimitri. He sold his apartment, moved back home, and tried to find himself again. He helped his father with their family business, looked after his sisters, and tried to remember why he loved skating.

He let out a big breath. He had to get home.

Rose was waiting for him.

* * *

Dimitri inhaled the cold air of the rink. Cold air reminded him of home. Of the days he spent with his family huddling around a fire. His parents would tell stories while he and his sisters listened eagerly. He tried to focus on those memories instead of the anger that was still simmering in his skin.

"Dimitri!"

Then he saw Rose. Brilliant, passionate, and dedicated Roza. She was smiling in a way he had only ever seen when she was on the ice.

Before he was aware of his actions, he threw his arms around his student. Rose was taken aback at first, but slowly hugged him. The way she rubbed his back, in slow and soothing circles, made his body shudder. The strong scent of cinnamon from her hair calmed him down.

"That bad?" Rose whispered.

Dimitri shook his head. "She just...she made wonder how I could have ever loved her. How I could have ever seen past her selfishness and her desire for fame."

"People in love can be blind sometimes. It's not your fault."

"Should I go?" They both turned to Lissa, who was giving Rose a look that made him uncomfortable. "It's no trouble if you want to meet up tomorrow, Rose."

Dimitri let go of Rose slowly as he shook his head. "That is not necessary. You two should go out and have fun." He gave Lissa a wry look. "See if you can get her to relax."

She stared him down and he waited while she examined him. She seemed fine with him because she began to laugh. "I see why Rose likes you so much." He did his best to ignore the pink on his and Rose's cheeks. "Okay then. I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Next mornings paper featured an article about Rose; one much more positive than previous others.

 _Rival Olympians Spotted Shopping In Downtown Area._ Above the article was a picture of Rose and Lissa, their arms full of bags. Dimitri smiled. In the picture, Roza's face was alive and happy as she laughed with her friend. It was a change that he liked to see.

Rose was almost glowing when she made it to practice. Dimitri smiled again. "How was yesterday?"

His student's grin almost split her face. "It was fantastic! Shopping, dinner, dancing; it was great! I haven't had that much fun in ages!"

His heart went out to the poor girl. At her age, she should be worrying about boys and her hair and homework. Not psychotic skating rivals, Olympic competitions, and vengeful paparazzi. "Good. You deserve a break. Do you want to hold off for another day to spend with Miss Vasilissa?"

Rose shook her head. "Nah. Lissa is playing tourist with her boyfriend and I didn't want to play third wheel."

"Her boyfriend lives here?"

"No, but Christian is in the limelight just as much as she is, so its difficult for them to spend time together."

"I see. Well then, start your stretches and lace up. Be on the ice within the half hour."

"Got it coach." There was a bit of silence before Rose casually slipped in, "You know, Lissa's boyfriend is also her coach. They've been together for almost six years now. They haven't announced it to the public yet, but they think about getting married all the time."

Dimitri froze. He felt like someone had punched him in his gut. He gulped and tried to calm down. "And?"

"Nothing. Just that skater and coach relationships may not be as uncommon as you think."

He coughed. "I don't see what it has to do with us."

That made her laugh for some reason.

* * *

The usual visit to the White House pre-Olympics was even more nerve-wracking than Rose thought. Rose _**had**_ been invited to the White House before, but she gave up her position due to the rumors and never went. This time her position was solid, the rumors were all but gone and she wasn't afraid of the media like she was when she was younger.

Rose did wish, however, that her coach could be there with her. Dimitri was a voice of confidence she desperately needed right now. Especially with Natasha sending her looks the entire time.

She was jogged out of her longing by her good friends, Eddie Castile and Mason Ashford, each bumping her shoulder with theirs. "Chill out Rose." Mason said confidently as he slung an arm around her neck. "You'll be fine. We'll take some pictures, make fun of everyone, have a few drinks. It's just a party."

Rose rolled her eyes, but found herself unable to stop from smiling. Eddie Castile and Mason Ashford were her closest guy friends, despite being a few years older than herself, and they were roommates. Even so, they lived too far apart from her to be able to see her regularly. Eddie was a figure skater, like herself, and Mason was a freestyle skier. Both had been to the Olympics already, so Rose knew she was in good hands.

Mia came up to them. "Better get ready. The press conference starts in five."

It wasn't too bad. In fact, it was actually kind of fun. The food was fantastic, Rose was surrounded by her friends and fellow athletes, and she only had to answer a few questions for reporters. Eddie and Mason stuck by her side the entire time which made her feel safe and comfortable.

Some time after her last interview the President gave a speech. This is the part Rose found the most fascinating. This man is the leader of her country, probably the most powerful public figure. He carried himself with such presence that it made her weak in her stomach. But there was a kindness in his eyes that made her comfortable enough to accept the man's hand.

Rose smiled as she shook the President's hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Mister President."

The man gave her a soft smile back. "You know, when I heard about what you went through when you were younger, I wondered how anyone could be strong enough to come back from that." He patted her hand. "Now, I see that there's something special in you; a fire that will only burn brighter as you grow stronger. Keep realizing your dreams and don't let petty things like rumors get to you. You have an ally in me if you want it."

Rose blushed and stammered her thanks. She wished dearly that Dimitri had heard that.

* * *

Dimitri was waiting for her when she left the White House and went back to her hotel room. He looked up from his laptop when she walked in. "How was it?"

Rose made herself comfortable on her bed as she talked. "It was nice. I saw some old buddies. You know Eddie Castile and Mason Ashford?"

"I've seen Eddie skate, he's quite good, but I have no clue who Mason Ashford is."

"Mason is a skier. Freestyle and slaloms. We all go way back." Rose bit her lip. "We went to school together before I decided to be home-schooled after the...incident."

Dimitri turned around immediately. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

She sent him a tentative smile. "No, I want to. I'm just trying to find a way to get the words out." She took a deep breath. "We all attended this program to introduce winter sports to young children. It's where we first discovered our talents. Eddie took to skating like a duck to water and Mason asked for his first pair of skies after the first day. And of course, I skated like I was born on the ice." The skater sighed. "Things were so much simpler back in those days."

Rose heard Dimitri walk over to her bed just like she felt him sit next to her and grab her hand. "I'm sorry Roza. But you will never have to face things like that alone ever again. I will always be here for you, even when you don't need me to fight your battles with you."

Color blossomed across Rose's cheeks. "Thanks, Coach."

Hearing her coach's words, Rose now felt ready to take on the world.

* * *

I hate to get political (not really) but can anyone guess whom I based this president off of?

In this story, Christian is not Natasha's nephew. They are not even related. Their last names are pure coincidence; something I will definitely bring up later in the story.

I know it's 2018 but I wanna go back to 2014 when everything was good and decent. I was in high school, it was just my dad and I living together, I wasn't diagnosed with depression. Things were good is all I'm saying!


End file.
